


crystal necklace

by Quillium



Series: natsume week 2k19 [3]
Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Gen, Tumblr: Natsume Week 2019, Witch AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-06-03 00:45:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19452901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quillium/pseuds/Quillium
Summary: Natsume doesn’t put up any runes at first. He doesn’t see the point. This place isn’t permanent, after all. But he can see Touko’s kindness everywhere in the house—in the sea green protection crystals and the runes to make its occupants feel loved.





	crystal necklace

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt was genre swap. I know, I didn't go super out of the box but this was fun and I enjoy witch AUs a lot.

“Oi,” Nishimura whispers, leaning over to Kitamoto, “The new kid’s a witch, too.”

Kitamoto frowns and tugs at the crystal necklace on Nishimura’s collar. “He doesn’t have any of the standard equipment.”

“No, on his wrist,” Nishimura says, shaking his head, “Hold on—oi, new kid! Natsume!”

Natsume jerks a bit, and for a moment Nishimura thinks he’s going to ignore him when he doesn’t make any other moves, not so much as turning away from his book, but then he dips his head a bit and then moves over. “Is there any way I can help you, Nishimura-san?”

Nishimura holds up a wrist and taps it twice, “You’re a witch, yeah? Just curious.”

“Oh, um,” Natsume tilts his head to the side a bit and then smiles awkwardly, “I’m a summoner and a seer.”

“Cool. Kitamoto’s a nerd, too.”

“Being a witch isn’t nerdy,” Kitamoto mutters, “you know a few spells.”

“Just the fun ones,” Nishimura winks, and turns his hair blue for emphasis.

Natsume smiles a bit, “You’re a shifter?”

“Illusionist,” Nishimura wiggles his fingers and a horse head replaces Kitamoto’s.

“Stop that, “ Kitamoto bats at Nishimura, “You’re going to chase him off.”

“It’s alright,” Natsume smiles a bit and sits down. _Victory_. “Do you tend to go for traditional magic? I feel like most people don’t anymore.”

“We’re country kids, tradition is in our blood,” Kitamoto says, “You?”

Natsume gives an embarrassed little smile and pulls out a sharpie to sketch a quick little rune in the desktop. A youkai appears in the shape of a cat. “I’m self-taught, so it’s not exactly traditional.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Nishimura declares, “That’s still pretty cool. Your cat is cute.”

“I’m not a cat,” the cat says, “I am a terrifying, powerful beast of—“

“This is Nyanko-sensei,” Natsume interrupts him, “he bound himself to me and he’s a softy.”

“I—what—I only stick with you because of the food!”

Nishimura laughs a bit, “You’re living with the Fujiwaras, right? They’ve got the best food.”

“Yeah,” Natsume smiles a bit, softly, “They’re the best.”

__

Kitamoto’s first spell had been cast on a crystal, a ten-year-old’s attempt at protective magic. He had been attempting to cast a protect-from-harm spell and ended up with a immune-to-frog-pee spell (and even that’s a _maybe_. He’s still not sure on that part).

“It’s useless,” he mourns to Nishimura, jotting down notes and trying to figure out where he went wrong.

“No, it isn’t,” Nishimura says, bright eyed, and sticks it into his pocket, “It’s going to be really helpful, I can tell.”

“It won’t,” Kitamoto says.

“It _will_!” Nishimura insists, and shoves Kitamoto a bit, “Nerd.”

“Crystals are _cool_ ,” Kitamoto says.

“You know what’s cool? Turning into a tiger.”

“You can’t do that.”

“I will. One day.”

Kitamoto laughs a bit despite himself.

Nishimura pretends to be offended. “You don’t think I can do it? I totally can. Just wait and see.”

“I’m sure you can,” Kitamoto says, “I just think you’ll do a lot of dumb things before you get there.”

“Here I am, trying to be a supportive friend and—“

“Okay, okay,” Kitamoto says, worries spilling away, “See what that crystal does. Bet you a lollipop it’ll do nothing.”

“You’re a coward. Bet two.”

A week later, Nishimura insists that the crystal kept his hands clean from frog pee when he was playing by the river and catching frogs.

“Do I want to know why you were trying to catch frogs?” Kitamoto asks.

Nishimura beams and says, “Two lollipops.”

__

Fall of sixth grade:

“Did you dye your hair?” Sasada asks Nishimura, “Careful, you’ll get in trouble.”

“Won’t,” Nishimura says, grinning as his hair fades back to brown.

Kitamoto elbows him, “Show off.”

“Says the guy who _flew_ to school.”

Sasada rolls her eyes, and as soon as she turns her back, Nishimura’s hair goes back to brilliant pink.

__

“Get me a pineapple bun,” Nyanko says.

“You want romance?” Natsume asks, squinting at the vendor’s sign. Little potions and spells with each sweet treat, it boasts its flavours in chalk white words.

“No,” Nyanko rolls his eyes, “I want a pineapple bun.”

“So greedy,” Nastume says, and asks if he can order a spell-free pineapple bun.

__

Natsume doesn’t put up any runes at first. He doesn’t see the point. This place isn’t permanent, after all. But he can see Touko’s kindness everywhere in the house—in the sea green protection crystals and the runes to make its occupants feel loved.

“I want to be seen eventually,” Nyanko says crossly, “You should put up the runes. Even if I’m only seen as a cat.”

“Touko’s a witch,” Natsume says, folded over Nyanko, his face in his fur. “She’ll know.”

“What’s so terrible about that?”

“I don’t want them to see if—if I’m not going to stay.”

“Humans,” Nyanko huffs, flicking his ears, “You can’t keep sneaking me your dinner, you know.”

“I know,” Natsume says.

__

Natsume is sick and Touko wishes she had learned more healing magic than just pain relief. They have medicine from the corner store that can do whatever her little old spells can, after all.

She hadn’t anticipated how much it would hurt, seeing her child like this. She’s only had him for a month—and already, she loves him so much.

It’s ridiculous anyways, feeling regretful. Healing spells— _in depth_ healing spells—take years to master, and that’s with an apprenticeship.

Still.

“I’m sorry I can’t do more,” she says, carding her fingers through Natsume’s hair and waiting for him to get better so she can kiss his cheek and hold him tight to her chest. She hates this. Waiting helplessly while her kid is in pain.

“Don’t be,” Natsume says, voice raspy. “Isn’t your fault.”

“I know. I just—I want you to get better,” Touko gives him soup and thinks about the little blue crystal necklace for love and protection she keeps in her apron, waiting to give it to Natsume when she knows for sure it won’t be scoffed at.

“Yeah, I—“ Natsume leans into her touch, “Touko-san?”

“Yes, Takashi-kun?”

“When I’m better—can I put up some runes? I’m a seer.”

“Yes,” Touko must be getting old, she thinks as her eyes well up, “Of course. I have a necklace for you—one like mine and Shigeru’s—if you’ll have it.”

“I’d love to,” he says, and she knows for a fact that he’s hers now, her kid, her family.

__

Natsume puts up his runes. He invites Nishimura and Kitamoto over to help, directing them with precise and detailed instructions, insisting that Touko is not allowed to help and should rest after a hard day of work.

“It’s not that bad,” Touko says, amused, but sits down all the same.

Kitamoto cheats a bit, using his broom for navigation when outside (“Not in the house!” Natsume says sharply and Touko laughs as she says “It’s okay”) and Natsume sighs as he tells Nishimura that it isn’t a competition.

By lunchtime, Touko meets Nyanko, who shows her his larger form in the backyard for a moment before shrinking and asking if she’ll make any meat skewers anytime soon, claiming that he enjoyed them the last time.

“Greedy pig,” Natsume complains fondly.

Touko laughs and makes meat skewers for dinner.

__

“Oi, Natsume, nice necklace,” Nishimura claps him on the back. “Mine is nicer, though.”

“Touko made it, right?” Kitamoto asks, “Then it’s better than Nishimura’s. His is trash.”

“No, his is _fine_ , and the one who made it is _awesome_ ,” Nishimura glares.

“It’s a very basic—“

“Lalala, can’t hear you!”

“Thank you,” Natsume says, touching two fingers to his necklace, “I like it, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> In case you're confused, the implication at the end is that Kitamoto made Nishimura's necklace.


End file.
